theodore roosevelt-第41节

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am　the　Crown　Prince　became　the　Kaiser　William　II；　he　thrust　out　his　chest　and　adopted　a　rather　pompous　walk；　but　there　was　nothing　like　this　in　Roosevelt's　manner　or　carriage。　In　his　public　speaking；　he　gesticulated　incessantly；　and　in　the　difficulty　he　had　in　pouring　out　his　words　as　rapidly　as　the　thoughts　came　to　him；　he　seemed　sometimes　almost　to　grimace；　but　this　was　natural；　not　studied。　And　so　I　can　easily　understand　what　some　one　tells　me　who　saw　him　almost　daily　as　President　in　the　White　House。　〃Roosevelt；〃　he　said；　〃had　an　immense　reverence　for　the　Presidential　office。　He　did　not　feel　cocky　or　conceited　at　being　himself　President；　he　felt　rather　the　responsibility　for　dignity　which　the　office　carried　with　it；　and　he　was　humble。　You　might　be　as　intimate　with　him　as　possible；　but　there　was　a　certain　line　which　no　one　ever　crossed。　That　was　the　line　which　the　office　itself　drew。〃

Roosevelt　had　that　reverence　for　the　great　men　of　the　past　which　should　stir　every　heart　with　a　capacity　for　noble　things。　In　the　White　House　he　never　forgot　the　Presidents　who　had　dwelt　there　before　him。　〃I　like　to　see　in　my　mind's　eye；〃　he　said　to　Mr。　Rhodes；　the　American　historian；　〃the　gaunt　form　of　Lincoln　stalking　through　these　halls。〃　During　a　visit　at　the　White　House；　Mr。　Rhodes　watched　the　President　at　work　throughout　an　entire　day　and　set　down　the　points　which　chiefly　struck　him。　Foremost　among　these　was　the　lack　of　leisure　which　we　allow　our　Presidents。　They　have　work　to　do　which　is　more　important　than　that　of　a　railroad　manager；　or　the　president　of　the　largest　business　corporation；　or　of　the　leader　of　the　American　Bar。　They　are　expected　to　know　the　pros　and　cons　of　each　bill　brought　before　them　to　sign　so　that　they　can　sign　it　not　only　intelligently　but　justly；　and　yet　thanks　to　the　constant　intrusion　which　Americans　deem　it　their　right　to　force　on　the　President；　he　has　no　time　for　deliberation；　and；　as　I　have　said；　Mr。　Roosevelt　was　often　obliged；　when　he　wished　to　have　an　undisturbed　consultation　with　one　of　his　Cabinet　Secretaries；　to　take　him　off　on　a　long　ride。

〃I　chanced　to　be　in　the　President's　room；〃　Mr。　Rhodes　continues；　〃when　he　dictated　the　rough　draft　of　his　famous　dispatch　to　General　Chaffee　respecting　torture　in　the　Philippines。　While　he　was　dictating；　two　or　three　cards　were　brought　in；　also　some　books　with　a　request　for　the　President's　autograph；　and　there　were　some　other　interruptions。　While　the　dispatch　as　it　went　out　in　its　revised　form　could　not　be　improved；　a　President　cannot　expect　to　be　always　so　happy　in　dictating　dispatches　in　the　midst　of　distractions。　Office　work　of　far…reaching　importance　should　be　done　in　the　closet。　Certainly　no　monarch　or　minister　in　Europe　does　administrative　work　under　such　unfavorable　conditions；　indeed；　this　public　which　exacts　so　much　of　the　President's　time　should　in　all　fairness　be　considerate　in　its　criticism。〃　*

*　Rhodes：　Historical　Essays；　238…39。


To　cope　in　some　measure　with　the　vast　amount　of　business　thrust　upon　him；　Roosevelt　had　unique　endowments。　Other　Presidents　had　been　indolent　and　let　affairs　drift；　he　cleared　his　desk　every　day。　Other　Presidents　felt　that　they　had　done　their　duty　if　they　merely　dispatched　the　important　business　which　came　to　them；　Roosevelt　was　always　initiating；　either　new　legislation　or　new　methods　in　matters　which　did　not　concern　the　Government。　One　autumn；　when　there　was　unusual　excitement；　with　recriminations　in　disputes　in　the　college　football　world；　I　was　surprised　to　receive　a　large　four…page　typewritten　letter；　giving　his　views　as　to　what　ought　to　be　done。

He　reorganized　the　service　in　the　White　House；　and　not　only　that；　he　had　the　Executive　Mansion　itself　remodeled　somewhat　according　to　the　original　plans　so　as　to　furnish　adequate　space　for　the　crowds　who　thronged　the　official　receptions；　and；　at　the　other　end　of　the　building；　proper　quarters　for　the　stenographers；　typewriters；　and　telegraphers　required　to　file　and　dispatch　his　correspondence。　Promptness　was　his　watchword；　and　in　cases　where　it　was　expected；　I　never　knew　twenty…four　hours　to　elapse　before　he　dictated　his　reply　to　a　letter。

The　orderliness　which　he　introduced　into　the　White　House　should　also　be　recorded。　When　I　first　went　there　in　1882　with　a　party　of　Philadelphia　junketers　who　had　an　appointment　to　shake　hands　with　President　Arthur；　as　a　preliminary　to　securing　a　fat　appropriation　to　the　River　and　Harbor　Bill　of　that　year；　the　White　House　was　treated　by　the　public　very　much　as　a　common　resort。　The　country　owned　it：　therefore；　why　shouldn't　any　American　make　himself　at　home　in　it？　I　remember　that　on　one　of　the　staircases；　Dr。　Mary　Walker　（recently　dead）；　dressed　in　what　she　was　pleased　to　regard　as　a　masculine　costume；　was　haranguing　a　group　of　five　or　six　strangers；　and　here　and　there　in　the　corridors　we　met　other　random　visitors。　Mr。　Roosevelt　established　a　strict　but　simple　regimen。　No　one　got　past　the　Civil　War　veteran　who　acted　as　doorkeeper　without　proper　credentials；　and　it　was　impossible　to　reach　the　President　himself　without　first　encountering　his　Secretary；　Mr。　Loeb。

To　the　President　some　persons　were；　of　course；　privileged。　If　an　old　pal　from　the　West；　or　a　Rough　Rider　came；　the　President　did　not　look　at　the　clock；　or　speed　him　away。　The　story　goes　that　one　morning　Senator　Cullom　came　on　a　matter　of　business　and　indeed　rather　in　a　hurry。　On　asking　who　was　〃in　there；〃　and　being　told　that　a　Rough　Rider　had　been　with　the　President　for　a　half…hour；　the　Senator　said；　〃Then　there's　no　hope　for　me；〃　took　his　hat；　and　departed。

Although；　as　I　have　said；　Roosevelt　might　be　as　intimate　and　cordial　as　possible　with　any　visitor；　he　never　forgot　the　dignity　which　belonged　to　his　office。　Nor　did　he　forget　that　as　President　he　was　socially　as　well　as　officially　the　first　person　in　the　Republic。　In　speaking　of　these　social　affairs；　I　must　not　pass　over　without　mention　the　unfailing　help　which　his　two　sisters　gave　him　at　all　times。　The　elder；　the　wife　of　Admiral　William　S。　Cowles；　lived　in　Washington　when　Roosevelt　was　Civil　Service　Commissioner；　and　her　house　was　always　in　readiness　for　his　use。

His　younger　sister；　Mrs。　Douglas　Robinson；　lived　in　New　York　City；　and　first　at　No。　422　Madison　Avenue　and　later　at　No。　9　East　Sixty…third　Street；　she　dispensed　hospitality　for　him　and　his　friends。　Nothing　could　have　been　more　convenient。　If　he　were　at　Oyster　Bay；　it　was　often　impossible　to　make　an　appointment　to　meet　there　persons　whom　he　wished　to　see；　but　he　had　merely　to　telephone　to　Mrs。　Robinson；　the　appointment　was　made；　and　the　interview　was　held。　It　was　at　her　house　that　many　of　the　breakfasts　with　Senator　Plattthose　meetings　which　caused　so　much　alarm　and　suspicion　among　over…righteous　reformerstook　place　while　Roosevelt　was　Governor。　Mr。　Odell　nearly　always　accompanied　the　Senator；　as　if　he　felt　afraid　to　trust　the　astute　Boss　with　the　very　persuasive　young　Governor。　Having　Mrs。　Robinson's　house　as　a　shelter；　Theodore　could　screen　himself　from　the　newspaper　men。　There　he　could　hold　private　consultations　which；　if　they　had　been　referred　to　in　the　papers；　would　have　caused　wild　guesses；　surmises；　and　embarrassing　remarks。　His　sisters　always　rejoiced　that；　with　his　wonderful　generosity　of　nature；　he　took　them　often　into　his　political　confidence；　and　listened　with　unfeigned　respect　to　their　point　of　view　on　subjects　on　which　they　might　even　have　a　slight　difference　of　opinion。

Mr。　Charles　G。　Washburn　tells　the　following　story　to　illustrate　Roosevelt's　faculty　of　getting　to　the　heart　of　every　one　whom　he　knew。　When　he　was　hunting　in　Colorado；　〃he　met　a　cowboy　who　had　been　with　him　with　the　Rough　Riders　in　Cuba。　The　man　came　up　to　speak　to　Roosevelt；　and　said；　'Mr。　President；　I　have　been　in　jail　a　year　for　killing　a　gentleman。'　'How　did　you　do　it？'　asked　the　President；　meaning　to　inquire　as　to　the　circumstances。　'Thirty…eight　on　a　forty…five　frame；'　replied　the　man；　thinking　that　the　only　interest　the　President　had　was　that　of　a　comrade　who　wanted　to　know　with　what　kind　of　a　tool　the　trick　was　done。　Now；　I　will　venture　to　say　that　to　no　other　President；　from　Washington　down　to　and　including　Wilson；　would　the　man…killer　have　made　that　response。〃　*

*　Washburn；　202…03。


I　think　that　all　of　us　will　agree　with　Mr。　Washburn；　who　adds　another　story　of　the　same　purport；　and　told　by　Roosevelt　himself。　Another　old　comrade　wrote　him　from　jail　in　Arizona：　〃Dear　Colonel：　I　am　in　trouble。　I　shot　a　lady　in　the　eye；　but　I　did　not　intend　to　hit　the　lady；　I　was　shooting　at　my　wife。〃　Roosevelt　had　large　charity　for　sinners　of　this　type；　but　he　would　not　tolerate　deceit　or　lying。　Thus；　when　a　Congressman　made　charges　to　him　against　one　of　the　Wild　Western　appointees　whom　he　accused　of　drinking　and　of　gambling；　the　President　remarked　that　he　had　to　take　into　consideration　the　moral　standards　of　the　section；　where　a　man　who　gambled　or　who　drank　was　not　necessarily　an　evil　person。　Then　the　Congressman　pressed　his　charges　and　said　that　the　fellow　had　been　in　prison　for　a　crime　a　good　many　years　before。　This　roused　Roosevelt；　who　said；　〃He　never　told　me　about　that；〃　and　he　immediately　telegraphed　the　accused　for　an　explanation。　The　man　replied　that　the　charge　was　true；　whereupon